Well, here’s my first empties post. I decided to start doing it because I noticed that I myself love reading other bloggers’ empties, it’s actually kind of fun to see what other people used up and what they ended up thinking about the products in the long run.
I often don’t fully use up things and simply “retire” them, it mostly happens to the products I was very “meh” about (there are a couple of those in this very post). So here is my inaugural Empties post, March 2013 edition.
Since my pile of used up products is fairly large, I had to separate them all into groups, and this post is going to be just about the makeup group, as you can already see from the pictures.
- Cattiva Divino Lash Mascara – I know a lot of people who said they really liked this mascara, but I hated it from the moment I got it in my BeautyFix last summer. It has an unpleasant chemical fragrance to it, which is actually what it’s supposed to smell like. Also, it didn’t help my lashes in any way, and the application was always clumpy and “spidery”. The only cool thing about this mascara, in my opinion, was the gorgeous tube.
- MAC Prep + Prime Lash Primer – This was my first ever lash primer and I loved it. I was actually shopping for a mascara for thin lashes and the girl at the counter recommended I use this primer underneath for the best effect. So just like that I was introduced to the world of primers and found out about face primers soon after as well. I was never planning to repurchase this and found a better alternative from Jane Iredale.
- Guerlain Noir G Mascara – This is my holy grail mascara, and I still beat myself up for my expensive taste. It seriously does it all: lengthens, defines, conditions, doesn’t clump, gives volume and it even smells good! This is one of those rare cases where I love the mascara for the mascara formula itself and not just for the wand shape.
- Jane Iredale Longest Lash Mascara – Got this sample in one of my beauty subscriptions last year, I believe it was Sample Society. I didn’t see any lengthening effect, maybe some volume and that’s about it. After using it for a few days initially, I just set it aside and left it rotting in the drawer for months.
- Qtica Extending Top Coat – This top coat didn’t live up to any of the claims it made. It takes forever to dry, doesn’t seem to extend the life of my manicure, it’s fairly thick and on top of that it makes all of my polishes bubble, even Zoya ones which is what it’s supposed to be used with. There is still about half left in the bottle but I’m retiring it early because I can’t stand the frustration.
- Stila Set and Correct Baked Powder Trio – This finishing powder is pretty good at masking small skin discolorations, it’s especially good if you don’t have any major visible skin problems and only need to even out your complexion a little bit. I probably won’t repurchase, but I enjoyed using this product.
- Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint – The sample sounded promising, but on the next day after I used it my face broke out really bad. I have nothing else to connect it with, so I blame all the parabens in the formula 🙁
- Vincent Longo Duo Lip Pencil – Loved the formula but hated the color, and I don’t even have anybody who likes to wear such dark colors on their lips, fyi I received this pencil in Sangria color which is a deep burgundy red. It was just sitting in my drawer for several months before I finally decided to just get rid of it.
I love empties posts, so I am glad you are starting them.
The Jane Iredale PureLash Extender sounds so interesting – have you done a post review? I’d love to read your full thoughts!
I just recently got to try a deluxe sample and didn’t write a review on it, but it really makes my thin and short lashes look a lot fuller. I also noticed that it provides a slight conditioning effect, so even after a couple of extra coats of mascara on top, my winks don’t feel crunchy.
I am planning to purchase the full size as soon as my little sample runs out, but you can try requesting one by emailing Jane Iredale CS at [email protected]
Good luck!
i love empties post to!
Yey! I’m not alone! :))
Hi! I am new to your blog and really love it. Until I read your profile I would have never guessed English wasn’t your first language. I have a question that I would like your opinion on. My daughter is going to college in August and I would like to start her a beauty box subscription. I figure it would be really fun for a poor college student to get makeup goodies every month. What subscription do you think would fit that best? She loves makeup and beauty stuff, but she goes for a natural look.
Hi Alison, and welcome to Glamorable! 🙂
From the $10 price range, I would say Ipsy is the best choice because (at least for me) they have always sent me goodies according to my style profile, and I’m more of a nude/natural look kind of girl. ipsy.com
Starlooks Starbox only sends full-sized makeup and there is no style profile, it’s always a mix of bolds and neutrals. But the quality of their makeup is comparable to MAC, in fact their company was started by former MAC employees. This one costs $15/month + about $2 tax. I have written two reviews of their boxes, you can check them out in the Starlooks Starbox menu option in the Subscription Boxes dropdown menu at the top of this page. http://starlooks.com/products/starbox
Then at $30 price range there’s True Beauty box, they send all-natural cruelty-free cosmetics and skincare. After taking a style profile, you can choose a box option with just makeup in it (Flirt) or you can subscribe to a mix of both (Veganista). http://www.lovetruenatural.com/beautybox/choose
And last but not the least, at $36/month there’s Wantable. They send out only full-sized makeup products and nail polish, all catered to your personal choices. There’s no style profile, they just ask you what colors and textures do you like for each type of product. If you wear all nudes and neutrals, that’s what they’ll send you. https://www.wantable.co/
I hope that was helpful! 🙂
Thanks! I will actually get my first Ipsy box in April. It is one I am trying out to see if I should sign her up. I was also looking at Starlooks, so I am glad to see you list it. I think I want to say at $20 or below. I LOVE several of the more expensive boxes, but I don’t want to add that cost. Plus, if I stay at a lower box amount I can have a both sent to both of us!
I haven’t heard of wantable. I am going to check it out even though it is over my price range.
I am also interested in Yuzen for myself. It looks like a nice quality box for a decent price.
You’re very welcome! 🙂
Yuzen is also another fantastic subscription, they’re quarterly so that ends up being only about $8.6/month. It’s also one of my favorite subscriptions, if I had to drop them all but one, Yuzen would be the one I keep. All of the products they send are eco-conscious, natural and organic “me-time” goodies. They very rarely send out makeup, but if you love skincare and all sorts of bath and shower products it’s a great subscription for you.